Masks to be required for students in grades 3-12

COUNTY — The School District of Pickens County announced Monday that it has pushed the start of the school year back two weeks and will require masks for all students in grades 3-12 when social distancing is not possible as COVID-19 continues to spread throughout the community.

Originally scheduled to begin Aug. 10, the school year will now start Aug. 24 after the Pickens County School Board approved the change Tuesday morning. The district’s six-week plan for alternating face-to-face instruction and eLearning will remain in place with the new start date, according to officials.

“The past few weeks have been an enormous challenge for South Carolinians,

COLUMBIA — South Carolina officials have reported five new COVID-19 deaths in Pickens County over the past week as the virus continues to cause damage around the state, including a minor outbreak at a Pickens nursing home.

The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control reported the deaths of three elderly people and two middle-age people in the county, with two deaths reported Thursday, one Friday and two more Sunday.

The number of cases in the county have continued to rise steadily as well, as at least 27 new confirmed cases of the virus were reported each day from last Tuesday to Monday, when the county’s number of confirmed cases reached 1,428. The county has now had 14 confirmed COVID-19-related deaths. Tuesday’s numbers were unavailable at press time.

Pickens County has dropped in the statewide rankings for rate of transmission, as it now has 15th-lowest rate of South Carolina’s 46 counties,

PICKENS — Community members are invited to attend a virtual COVID-19 town hall next week.

At 6 p.m. Monday, July 27, a team of local experts will gather on Zoom to provide valuable information and answer participants’ questions about the virus.

The event will be hosted and moderated by local hospital social worker Eunice Lehmacher.

Central Town Councilman Rev. Joe Moss will be discussing how his town passed a mask ordinance

By Jason Evans

Staff Reporter

jevans@thepccourier.com

PICKENS — The work of several Pickens County Library System employees has been instrumental in getting the county’s registrations and elections office back on track, following the resignations earlier this year of the county election director and the members of the board of voter registrations and elections.

County administrator Ken Roper praised those employees, as well as a public servant who has since passed away, during the July 13 county council meeting.

“I want to tell you a story, ladies and gentlemen,” Roper said during his report to council. “I want to

CHARLOTTE, N.C., — Scams targeting electric and natural gas customers are on the rise, with imposters implementing new tactics during the COVID-19 pandemic to trick utility customers out of money and personal information.

June 2020 was the highest single month on record for reported scam attempts targeting Duke Energy customers, hitting more than 4,000.

The total number of scam attempts reported by Duke Energy customers so far in 2020 — more than

SEARCY, Ark. — Anna Kretzmer of Easley is one of more than 800 students who received their diploma and will be recognized as a Harding University graduate during a virtual ceremony on Aug. 15, 2020.

Kretzmer received a Bachelor of Science in biomedical engineering.

Graduates include students from the College of Allied Health, College of Arts and Humanities,

COUNTY — The Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) is a program offered by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture and Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service.

Since 1969, the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) has successfully served low-income families by influencing nutrition education and the importance of physical activity. Through a community-based and hands-on educational approach, EFNEP impacts obesity, economic, and food insecurity challenges that hinder nutritional health and well-being.

EFNEP’s current program promotes a healthy lifestyle by incorporating nutrition education and fun, hands-on learning activities for children and youth to prevent childhood obesity and chronic diseases. EFNEP’s mission is to help children and youth to acquire skills necessary to select and prepare low-cost nutritious food, change behaviors that lead to healthier eating habits and a more physically

The Rock recently celebrated the grand opening of their new facility and amenities being offered. Pictured are manager Justin Smith, events coordinator Chelsey Crawley, owner Tommy Biershenk and senior superintendent David Greene. The Rock features a challenging 18-hole course, event space, wedding packages, overnight accommodations and golf memberships. The clubhouse has been expanded to include a tap room, where they launched their Sam Patch Presidential Wheat Ale created by 13 Stripes Brewery. A putting green has been installed next to the clubhouse, and several hiking/riding trails to multiple waterfalls, petroglyphs and the beginning of the old toll gate road have been cleared. The Rock offers guided horseback riding tours, and the trails are open to the public. Visit therockgolfclub.com for more details.

The Charles F. Rogers Scholarship committee is proud to announce this year’s selections for the Charles F. Rogers Scholarship Award. Kaylee Gillespie and Jake Alexander are the 2020 recipients of the Charles F. Rogers Scholarship Award. Kaylee and Jake will receive a $1,000 scholarship to put toward their college education. “Congratulations to Kaylee and Jake for representing our basketball program and for their perseverance to achieve success on and off the court,” the scholarship committee said in a news release.